How much conditioner can hair actually absorb?

[Neith]

I hennad my hair today and instead of keeping it in for the regular 4+ hours, I rinsed it out after an hour.

I don't think anyone actually likes keeping slimy/muddy/wet stuff in their hair for hours.

I've DC'ed and used henna for hours and overnight, but now I'm rethinking it.

How much can hair absorb? I can't imagine that it can be very much, no matter how long you keep it in or how much extra product you use. I mean, to absorb even an ounce of product sounds too high to me.

I'm rethinking my dc/henna procedures :scratchch

 

[girlcherokee]

neith,
good question - did you see a difference in the way that your hair came out?

 

[vkb247]

Is the point for the hair to absorb the product? I dc to condition and moisturize. Lately I have been dcing overnight (no heat) and I am sure that I don't need to do it that long to get the results I am looking for but I don't know how long I need it to be there so I err on the side of caution.

With henna I think it is left a long time to get the color. If you just want to use it to condition it doesn't need to be left as long.

 

[Neith]

neith,
good question - did you see a difference in the way that your hair came out?

Nope, no difference at all.

 

[Neith]

Is the point for the hair to absorb the product? I dc to condition and moisturize. Lately I have been dcing overnight (no heat) and I am sure that I don't need to do it that long to get the results I am looking for but I don't know how long I need it to be there so I err on the side of caution.

With henna I think it is left a long time to get the color. If you just want to use it to condition it doesn't need to be left as long.

I assumed that's why we deep condition. To get the conditioner to penetrate the hair. Regular conditioning/instant conditioners moisturize, lubricate and condition the hair without any real penetration. Deep conditioner really gets in there and does it's job while also moisturizing and lubricating the hair like an instant conditioner does too.

For coloring with henna, the dye molecule gets absorbed into the hair shaft similarly to the way conditioners/oils would. So the two aren't so different in my eyes. I don't see why you really would have to leave it in your hair so long to get color. People who do henna glosses get color even though they don't use henna full strength and they tend not to leave it on for hours.
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I don't know how long it takes hair to absorb all that it will absorb, but I'm pretty sure it's not all night. It can really only absorb so much.

 

[Muse]

Found this site: http://www.philipkingsley.com/hair/care/conditioning/

I think there is some truth to that. A good conditioner doesn't need to be left on for more than a few minutes, but it has to be well formulated.

 

[AtlantaJJ]

I hennad my hair today and instead of keeping it in for the regular 4+ hours, I rinsed it out after an hour.

I don't think anyone actually likes keeping slimy/muddy/wet stuff in their hair for hours.

I've DC'ed and used henna for hours and overnight, but now I'm rethinking it.

How much can hair absorb? I can't imagine that it can be very much, no matter how long you keep it in or how much extra product you use. I mean, to absorb even an ounce of product sounds too high to me.

I'm rethinking my dc/henna procedures :scratchch

ITA with you on the bolded.

This is a great question.

I bet it depends on the conditioner itself, like some oils have small enough molecules to be absorbed by hair, I'm guessing some conditioners are more penetrating than others.

Assuming its a deep penetrating conditioner, I'm still not sure how much the hair can abosorb.

I put gobs of it on my hair now that I am natural to ensure I get good coverage. I'm pondering this with you as I sit with my DC on my head under my heating cap...:scratchch

 

[BillsBackerz67]

IDK but I at least make sure that my hair is 70% dry before deep conditioning. My reasoning may be wrong but I think the more water left in your hair prior to deep conditioning, the less conditioner your hair will be able to absorb.

 

[Simply_Kelz]

Great question .. hmmm .. I could be wasting LOADS on conditioner ..

 

[gorgeoushair]

Is the point for the hair to absorb the product? I dc to condition and moisturize. Lately I have been dcing overnight (no heat) and I am sure that I don't need to do it that long to get the results I am looking for but I don't know how long I need it to be there so I err on the side of caution.

With henna I think it is left a long time to get the color. If you just want to use it to condition it doesn't need to be left as long.

When the hair absorbs the product.......it's moisturized and conditioned. You don't want to condition your hair and when times up....you noticed the conditioner sitting on top of your hair When the conditioner is absorb that's when you know your hair loves the product and the conditioner done it's job. IMHO

 

[Neith]

Found this site: http://www.philipkingsley.com/hair/care/conditioning/

I think there is some truth to that. A good conditioner doesn't need to be left on for more than a few minutes, but it has to be well formulated.

I dunno... I think that of course well formulated products will work better, but not faster. If there is anything in there that can be absorbed, I think the hair will do it without predjudice. I don't think you'd have to keep high or low quality products in your hair for hours to reach your hair's "saturation point".

ITA with you on the bolded.

This is a great question.

I bet it depends on the conditioner itself, like some oils have small enough molecules to be absorbed by hair, I'm guessing some conditioners are more penetrating than others.

Assuming its a deep penetrating conditioner, I'm still not sure how much the hair can abosorb.

I put gobs of it on my hair now that I am natural to ensure I get good coverage. I'm pondering this with you as I sit with my DC on my head under my heating cap...:scratchch

I think I will always use gobs of conditioner because my texture requires it

I'm not sure how much it can absorb either, but I'd be surprised if even 5% of the conditioner I put into my hair actually gets IN my hair.

Imagine if your hair sucked in 25% of the conditioner you have in your head, you would see it sucking it up like a sponge, you would have noticeably less conditioner in your hair than you had in the beginning of your dc treatment.

I don't believe that keeping it on for 10 hours is going to make it absorb any more than keeping it on for an hour.

I think that we actually only get minute amounts of the deep conditioners we use IN our hair (not to say that those small amounts aren't important).

Just makes me rethink torturing myself keeping goo in my hair for hours upon hours.

 

[Neith]

IDK but I at least make sure that my hair is 70% dry before deep conditioning. My reasoning may be wrong but I think the more water left in your hair prior to deep conditioning, the less conditioner your hair will be able to absorb.

That makes sense Although I don't wait until 70%. I always apply on towel dried, non drippy hair.

 

[Neith]

Great question .. hmmm .. I could be wasting LOADS on conditioner ..

It depends You may be using more than you need, but some people need to use more than their hair can actually take in.

Deep conditioners also lubricate and soften your hair. Even though your hair can only absorb a little, having enough on your hair to help it be manageable is important too... imo.

 

[girlcherokee]

i have also been thinking aobut this lately in terms of the amount of product i use. i mean, why all the extra? why not just coat the strands and make sure they are all coated and let the hair take in whats there? it would save me a ton of money and time too i suppose.

 

[mj11051]

I hennad my hair today and instead of keeping it in for the regular 4+ hours, I rinsed it out after an hour.

I don't think anyone actually likes keeping slimy/muddy/wet stuff in their hair for hours.

I've DC'ed and used henna for hours and overnight, but now I'm rethinking it.

How much can hair absorb? I can't imagine that it can be very much, no matter how long you keep it in or how much extra product you use. I mean, to absorb even an ounce of product sounds too high to me.

I'm rethinking my dc/henna procedures :scratchch

I henna overnight because I don't let my henna sit. I mix it and put in my hair and go to bed so when the dye releases it releases in my hair. I'm doing an overnight dc tonight because I'm getting my hair blown out and flat ironed tomorrow for the first time since I went natural and I'm trying to have no damage.

 

[vkb247]

i understand what you guys are saying but in my mind absorbing and penetrating are two different things. I always felt like the conitioner molecules go in, do whatever they have to do, and then you wash it out.

So when I DC I am just hoping that the molecules will work longer and thus do a better job. how much of the conditioner is doing this work? idk

ETA/Disclaimer: I also don't think there is much of a difference between most dc's and regular conditioners. This has been my experience and I really haven't learned anything that persuaded me to think otherwise. So I probably shouldn't even be in this discussion. *backs slowly out of thread*

 

[Neith]

i have also been thinking aobut this lately in terms of the amount of product i use. i mean, why all the extra? why not just coat the strands and make sure they are all coated and let the hair take in whats there? it would save me a ton of money and time too i suppose.

I know... exactly what I was thinking

I henna overnight because I don't let my henna sit. I mix it and put in my hair and go to bed so when the dye releases it releases in my hair. I'm doing an overnight dc tonight because I'm getting my hair blown out and flat ironed tomorrow for the first time since I went natural and I trying have no damage.

That makes sense when you henna like that. I do dye release first though.

Good luck with your flat ironing tomorrow!

 

[mj11051]

Once your dye releases it's starts to demise and that's why I do it that way. I get a very rich color and great grey coverage.

 

[Neith]

i understand what you guys are saying but in my mind absorbing and penetrating are two different things. I always felt like the conitioner molecules go in, do whatever they have to do, and then you wash it out.

So when I DC I am just hoping that the molecules will work longer and thus do a better job. how much of the conditioner is doing this work? idk

ETA/Disclaimer: I also don't think there is much of a difference between most dc's and regular conditioners. This has been my experience and I really haven't learned anything that persuaded me to think otherwise. So I probably shouldn't even be in this discussion. *backs slowly out of thread*

Please, I'm not gonna attack you. With my crazy butt, I'm usually the one who has to watch what I say

I actually agree with you to an extent. I don't go by labels, I go by ingredients... I've seen deep conditioners that are as ineffective as regular conditioners and regular conditioners that make great deep conditioners. It depends on what's in the conditioner imo.

but your theory is interesting...

I dunno, I don't view conditioners as something that actively works on your hair.

Once you absorb all you can, what else is the conditioner able to do besides sit on top of your hair? Do conditioners really do further work once your hair has absorbed all of it that it can?

 

[Neith]

Once your dye releases it's starts to demise and that's why I do it that way. I get a very rich color and great grey coverage.

I think it takes a few hours for it to demise. I had to learn that the hard way, the first time I used henna, lol. I left it for dye release for 14 hours. I still got a stain, but it was weaker.

Now I wait until good dye release first starts. Takes 3 hours with my henna mix.